Bloated Ego: The Danger of Letting Business Success Go To Your Head
As a business owner, you’re hoping for huge success! Most entrepreneurs can identify with that desire. If you believe in your products or services, your goal will be to proudly introduce the masses to those products or services.
When you start to taste that sweet, exciting flavor of success, the feeling is indescribable. However, as you grow your business and become more successful – beware the bloated ego. Here are some of the dangers of letting your success go to your head!
Getting Too Comfortable In Your Success –
While success is the thing every entrepreneur, business owner or company hopes for – gaining it also increases vulnerability. It’s very easy to become comfortable in your success and when this happens, you’re not far from forgetting that you can fail. One success after another and before long, a business individual can feel invincible.
When you become comfortable and feel invincible, this opens up a weak spot for the competition to feed on. At the beginning of a business or a new deal, most individuals work tirelessly to achieve success and are excited about what the future can bring. At this point, it’s easy to see how success can be drawn to those individuals. When you let that fire go and become too comfy cozy, a host of problems can threaten to overtake you.
Becoming Closed-Minded –
If you ask my grandmother why she mixes her bread from scratch and lets it rise for hours before baking it, she will say, “Because that’s the way I’ve always done it and it works.”
It does work (and is delicious, by the way) but for just a few dollars she could purchase the frozen bread that rises in an hour and tastes just as good. She would shave several hours off of her preparation and would be a lot more efficient with her time. Becoming closed-minded about the way you do things is another danger of letting your success go to your head.
If you refuse to see the advantage of trying new ways to complete a project or sell your products, your business will never stay on the forefront of your industry. There are other businesses that are doing things more efficiently and you must stay competitive if you want to stay successful. By staying a step ahead of the competition and keeping your processes and methods innovative, you can hang on to that success!
Forgetting about the ‘Little Guys’ –
I’m one of those people who will brag and brag about a company I love and if I’ve had a bad experience, I will tell everyone! For instance, recently my family went out to a nice restaurant for dinner. After our drinks came, we waited more than an hour for our waitress to come and take our dinner order. There were two other parties there besides ours – and we waited an hour! Assuming there was a crisis in the kitchen that demanded all available hands, we went ahead and ordered dinner.
After a mediocre meal with no drink refills, we left the restaurant. A few days later, I discovered that my credit card had been charged not once, not twice but THREE times for the same meal. When I called the owner, I received an attitude and a half-hearted offer for a free meal. It was a terrible experience and we never went back. My entire family and all of my friends had to live through this story of the restaurant from hell and not a single one of them visited. Knowing my family and friends – I’m sure the story was passed around.
Your customers should never be forgotten. As you’re experiencing your success, don’t forget about the people who have helped you get there. Without your customers – you are nothing, so take it to heart when they purchase from you or remain loyal to you. If you truly appreciate their business, let them know with great customer service and rewards! Losing one customer may not hurt your business, but word of mouth continues to be the most powerful form of advertising – so make sure that advertising is good and not bad!
In closing, success is wonderful but it’s a double-edged sword. Stay on your toes with your business and refuse to allow success to force you into complacency. Keep in mind, there is always another company with services similar to yours waiting to fill your shoes and do the things you neglect to do!
